"From little towns in a far land we came, to save our honour and a world aflame. By little towns in a far land we sleep; And trust that world we won to you to keep!"  Rudyard KiplingRemember the veterans

When the parents of Private Solamgary Tohtieff of Globe, Ariz. got word that their son died fighting the Great War in France, they also learned he was one of the very last of the millions to perish on Nov. 11, 1918, Armistice Day. Of the 127 young Arizonans killed in that terrible conflict, the majority died within weeks or days of the war's end.

Once again, young soldiers are returning home with life-defining experiences that will ring familiar to the aging veterans of previous wars. And while learned scholars, pundits and high officials debate today's conundrum in Arabia and South Asia, perhaps the clearest observation about those conflicts  and war's true nature  came early on from a young Marine, an ordinary grunt, during the "march up" to Baghdad in 2003. "They was planning on walking in here like it was easy and all," Corporal Jimmy Paiz told an embedded reporter. "It's not that easy to conquer a country, isn't it?"

Humankind may yet know a time unscarred by the scourge of armed conflict. But as long as that dream eludes us, newly minted veterans will continue to hoist the battlefield banners of war and charge courageously into its dark breach at great sacrifice. And for that, we honor them.

E.J. Perkins

Casualties of warIn the form of a "Virtual Wall," we document the Arizona soldiers who have died in Iraq and South Asia to date.

Bill comes dueThe stories about Arizona's fallen soldiers together form the grim accounting of the terrible human cost of war.

Wounded heroesIn this report, we share the stories of Arizona soldiers who bravely fight to overcome their comabt injuries.

Beyond dutyTheir faces mirrored America's. And in the face of death, they performed with an otherworldly gallantry that defies comprehension.

FlyboysHundreds of young Hispanic men served as pilots, bombardiers, navigators and gunners during World War II.

Soldier storiesIn this special report, Arizona veterans recollect their combat experiences in the Second World War.

Day of infamyBefore a war that killed thousands of Americans and changed the world forever, Japanese planes bombed Pearl Harbor. At the center of that attack was one ship, the USS Arizona.

Honor roll:World War IThe Great War, 1914-18, became known as "the war to end all wars." Except that it didn't, and over 200 Arizonans paid with their lives.